


Promises Promises

by InvisibleRaven



Category: Glee RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-30
Updated: 2015-09-30
Packaged: 2018-04-24 03:15:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4903417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InvisibleRaven/pseuds/InvisibleRaven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“remember when we were in high school and we swore that if we were still single at 30 we’d marry each other, well hey guess whose birthday it is”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promises Promises

**Author's Note:**

  * For [froggydarren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/froggydarren/gifts).



> Because it was my dearest friend froggydarren‘s birthday, I wrote her a little something. Honestly Jen is one of the best people I know and you should all give her lots and lots of love.

Chris slumped into his seat as the bell rang with a scowl on his lips. Normally his whole vibe of ‘leave me alone’ would discourage most, but his seatmate was not among those it worked on.

“What’s up buttercup?” Darren asked, taking out his notebook to give the air that he was actually paying attention in English class. Really when would he ever need to know about the symbolism of the weather in Dracula? Seriously.

“Stupid couples. They are just everywhere, rubbing their love and adorable sickening coupleyness in the faces of anyone isn’t lucky enough to have someone.” Chris replied, his tone weary and a bit…longing?

“Were McCormack and his flavour of the week making out against your locker again? I told you man, you gotta get a poking stick. Or at least get Mrs. Henderson sicced on them. She thinks any amount of PDA will sully our little minds and discourage this institute of higher learning or some shit.” Darren remarked, doodling shapes in the margins of his book while their teacher droned on.

Chris was actually paying attention, so he waited until he was done his notes before replying “Well yes, but that’s not the point. It’s just frustrating to be surrounded by it all, like they want to make it known that they have someone when I just…don’t. You’re lucky because you have Sarah.”

Darren looked sympathetically at Chris. The boy just didn’t realize how great he was, and it would only be a matter of time before somebody snatched him up. “Yeah about that. Sarah and I are kaput.”

Chris whirled around so fast he was surprised he didn’t get whiplash. “What? When did this happen and why am I just now learning about it?”

Darren shrugged a little. “Just before first period. Said she wanted to end it now before SATS, going to separate schools in the fall anyways, and we both agreed that long distance is not for us.”

Chris scoffed “Bitch. Throw away almost 6 months because Michigan and Maryland are that far away. So much for ‘we’ll be together forever Darren’.”

“Dude you’re more upset about this than I am. You want her, you can have her. You’ll be closer to her in New York anyways.” Darren replied, giving Chris a playful elbow nudge.

Chris screwed up his face at that. “No thanks. You know I’m…gay.” he whispered the last word, glancing around with a terrified look on his face. Darren wished he could transport Chris out of homophobic high, could do more to protect him against the bullies. But he was just a scrawny guy with more hair than muscles and hands that were better with a guitar than throwing a right hook. “Which means that there is no one out there for me. I’m going to die alone.”

Darren had to hold back a laugh at that, wishing he could just come out to Chris. About his long standing crush on his best friend. About Sarah ending things because she refused to be his beard any longer, poking at Darren to just tell Chris already. But they were spending the next four years apart, in different states, at different schools, maybe never again to meet up. “Trust me sweetie, once you get out of here, you’ll be swimming in guys.” even if Darren was loath to think about all those hypothetical men, he knew the world would soon come to appreciate Chris.

Chris smiled sadly, noticing the class was starting to wrap up and began putting away his things. “Yeah but Dare? I don’t want to be swimming in guys. I just want that one guy, someone to spend my life with. And I just don’t think that’s in the cards for me.”

Darren gathered up his courage and said something he knew would be taken as a joke, but meant with all his heart. “All right then, tell you what. We’re both thirty, we’re both single, we get married.” Chris sputtered at that and Darren prayed no one in the throng of students leaving the classroom heard him out and out propose to his best friend. “No I’m serious. We’re best friends so we get along great. We know we have chemistry thanks to drama club’s ill thought out all male cast of Romeo & Juliet. I love you, you love me, so we be together to have that wonderful relationship that we’ve both always dreamed about.”

A smile burst forth from Chris’ face, a small chuckle emanated from his lips. “Alright, why not? We’re still friends and single in a dozen years, we’ll go down to the nearest courthouse where it’s legal and get hitched. But you are so taking my last name. Christopher Criss just sounds like a superhero name.”

“An awesome superhero!” Darren interjected, linking their elbows as they went off to their next class, one a bit lighter, the other all the more weighed down and longing for that silly what if to become reality.

Years passed, and both boys went on to school, careers and some relationships, but nothing serious. Their friendship had been a bit more tenuous than it was in their youth, but since Darren had moved to New York a few years ago, they were once again thick as thieves. Though it made Chris realize that now that they had grown up, the childhood crush he had on Darren had blossomed into something more. With no hope of it going anywhere, and so he ignored in hopes his stupid feelings wouldn’t damage the longest friendship he had. If only Darren would stop being so damn perfect for him…

They were hanging around Darren’s apartment, enjoying a glass of wine with some decadent Italian take out and tiramisu before crashing on the couch for a movie marathon when Chris even made a note of the date. “Hey, your birthday is in a few days. I feel like a shit friend for forgetting it. Do you want to go out somewhere? My treat! Or I could buy you something ridiculous in celebration of the big 3-0.”

Darren glanced up, swigging back the rest of his wine with a grimace “Or we could get married like we said we would in senior year.”

Chris whipped around, looking at him if he was a crazy person. “You remember that?” he sputtered, downing his own glass of wine and pouring them both a generous helping, knowing that they need it to get through the night.

“Course I do. I was so fucking in love with you Chris, would have done anything to get you to notice the fact.” Darren slurred, and Chris immediately regretted the large helping of wine that he had just chugged. “Of course, I still love you, but I’m prolly still some silly goober to you.”

With a sigh, Chris took both of their glasses and laid them down on the coffee table. “Darren if you don’t think I wasn’t crazy about you pretty much the entire time I’ve known you, then you are an idiot. And if you weren’t sloshed then I would take you on your offer and get us the first cab down to the courthouse in the morning. Of all the ways for you propose again, it had to be when you were drunk…”

“Not that drunk.” Darren murmured, though his glazed eyes and lazy movements seemed to argue that. “Okay, how about I go to bed, and if I ask you again in the morning you actually think about it?”

“Sure drunky. Now let’s get some water and Advil in you before bed okay? I’ll even stay until you pass out.” Chris said good naturedly, helping the stumbling Darren into his room, insisting he get ready for bed himself.

Eventually Darren was more hydrated, tucked in, and looking adorable in his sleepy state. Chris was lounging on the bed outside the covers while Darren waxed poetic about their nuptials.

“I know you said the courthouse, but I think I’d rather the park. Or oh the boathouse! You deserve something special, not some civil ceremony. We could do it on Valentine’s! Just parents and siblings, get a guy with a guitar to play ‘Come What May’ because we both know it’s the best love song ever. Then dinner and dancing and we get the best room at the Plaza! Doesn’t that sound awesome Chris?” Darren asked, his voice almost faded with exhaustion.

Chris would never admit it, but it sounded like his dream wedding. He never saw himself as someone who needed the big circus, just those he loved. “Sounds magical Dare.” He then noticed the other man fast asleep “I just wish you meant it.” He gave the sleeping man a sweet kiss to the forehead and prepared to sneak out when he felt his arm being grabbed.

“Stay please.” Darren mumbled, tugging him back down. Chris just sighed and snuggled himself down into the covers. He could pretend for just one night that he was putting up with his snuggly fiance instead of his wasted, clueless friend. Just this once.

When Darren awoke he was a bit worse for wear; a slight headache and feeling like his mouth had been the finally resting place for some horrid creature. He also noticed that he had koala’d himself all over Chris. The man was dead to the world, a slight snuffling noise coming from him, eyeballs twitching beneath his lids, and a very slight smile on his lips. Darren quietly extracted himself and went to brush his teeth with an Advil chaser before he came back to bed. However, the memories hit him like a freight train of the previous night when he looked at his appearance in the mirror, toothbrush dangling from his mouth. Oh shit had he really asked Chris to marry him? Worse had he done so after admitting he had been hung up on the man for over a decade?

Darren figured he was too tired for this shit so he downed his pills and even though he knew it was a stupid plan, curled himself back around Chris to go back to sleep. Might as well take what he could get before this all blew up in his face. He wanted so much to be falling asleep next to his future husband, but for now, dreams and playing pretend would have to suffice.

Eventually Chris himself woke up, noting the late hour when he glance at Darren’s alarm clock, thankful of it being the weekend. He also noticed how he was now under the covers and being used as a pillow by a very snuggly Darren. He gave a small smile and gave the mass of curls under his chin a small kiss. “It’s a good thing I love you, otherwise your snuggly ass would be getting a kick for this I hope you know.” he said, almost to himself.

Darren nuzzled his face into Chris’ shoulder and made a small, contented noise before he started blinking his heavy lids open. He looked up and saw Chris; his expression torn between affection and amusement. But to Darren? He just looked beautiful. The sunlight filtering into the room highlighted his mussed hair, made his eyes sparkle. He was giving Darren one of those rare smiles where you could see his teeth, even just a little. But what affected Darren the most was how fast he could feel the beat of Chris’ heart. He was gazing at Darren, trying to look casual about them waking up together (again, it happened more often than either cared to admit) but his heart was near pounding out his chest. Plus the glances he was making at Darren’s lips were less than subtle.

It was then that the words Chris had spoken right before he fell asleep came to him ‘I just wish you meant it’. Darren looked at Chris, really looked at him, trying not to look overly pleading when his heart decided to take over his mouth. “Marry me.”

Chris was shocked to say the least, and it was on the tip of his tongue to laugh, to ruffle Darren’s curls and joke about it before breakfast. But the look of utter sincerity in Darren’s eyes stopped him. He meant it. He want to marry Chris, and Chris…wanted to accept. So he said the one word he had been denying himself for almost 12 years.

“Yes.”


End file.
